Anbei and the Protectorate of the Prince of Yan: A Study on Ethnic Issues in the Northern Frontier of the Tang Dynasty

Author: Wang Shili
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2006-07-01
Features: The Anbei and Danyu were twohigh-level military and administrative agencies established by the Tang Dynasty in the northern frontier, managing the various dependent prefectures and states established by the Turkic and Tiele tribes. These two protectorates expanded territory when advancing and guarded the borders when retreating. Their establishment, abolition, prosperity, and decline were closely related to the security of the Tang Dynasty's northern frontier, while also reflecting the social development and changes of various ethnic groups in northern China. The Tang Dynasty managed the ethnic groups living in the northern frontier in the form of dependent prefectures and states, profoundly influencing the political, economic, and cultural lives of both the Central Plains and the frontier ethnic groups. Based on a detailed examination of the establishment and abolition of the dependent prefectures and states under the Anbei and Danyu protectorates, this book analyzes the characteristics of their establishment, institutional arrangements, management functions, appointment systems, and their historical role in adapting to the ethnic relations of the northern frontier during different historical periods of the Tang Dynasty.